Hey everyone! Month 9 of 11 is already here and we’re in full swing with ministry in Baños, Ecuador.
Where I am on a map:
Ministry this month:
We’re partnered with an Assemblies of God church here in Baños. Ministry has been different each week. For the first week, we assisted the evangelism team in the church. We helped them with 5 different events, one for each day of the week. The daily programs began with set up of a sound system, while we walked in the surrounding area and invited people to the program.
Each day’s program began with “international music specials” by a French church member that raps Christian-Spanish rap songs alongside his son shouting “hey!” It was super cute and had everyone’s attention. Following that, a group of teenage girls sang some of the church’s most popular songs from Sunday services. There was also a group of teenage boys that put on a very detailed (and skilled!) rendition of Christ’s crucifixion.
Following the short dramas, our team put on a short skit, followed by a short family focused message. The church wanted the drama to be family focused, so we chose to share about family unity, and how we’ve seen a myriad of different families throughout our time on the race. We shared about the importance of remaining united despite business, arguments, our to-do lists, and suffering that we don’t understand.
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
John 17:20-23
During the second week of ministry, we’ve been helping Megan and Genna, two teammates that have been working with the youth dance ministry. They teach the dances, and I help out by babysitting a one year old that likes to run into the middle of the dances.
It feels dangerous to write that my ministry during this past week has been .. well.. babysitting. But, something I’ve learned throughout this trip is that my perspective, and me feeling good about how “I’ve helped out” isn’t important. This isn’t about us – it’s about the church that we’re partnered with and helping them bring kingdom to this city. This week, we were asked to do that by teaching the church’s youth different dance routines, and more than two people isn’t needed for that, so I’ve been helping in the in-between time.
This upcoming week, we’ve been asked to help out with two kids events that the church is hosting. The events are focused on social media use, cyber-bullying, and how to use social media tools as a blessing. It’s a bit more public health focused (yay!).
Where we live:
This month, we’re living in a church member’s family home. We have a living room, couches, and a TV! It’s so cool. We also have a kitchen and prepare our own meals, sporadic hot water, and beds!
Fun stuff:
Baños Ecuador is a very touristy adventure town tucked away in the mountains of Ecuador. One of the many options for adventure in town is “la ruta de las cascadas” or.. “Route of the waterfalls.” On a recent day off, Genna, Megan and I rented bikes and biked 18km alongside the waterfall route. It poured rain for the majority of the ride, but it was fun nonetheless! Here are a few pictures from our adventure 🙂
That’s all for now!! We’re headed to Cusco, Peru at the end of this week, so stay tuned for the next all-about-ministry blog coming soon! 
